UN chief looking for Annan successor for Syria

GENEVA (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he is looking for a successor to Kofi Annan to serve as an envoy to civil-war wracked Syria.

Annan said Thursday he is resigning the position effective Aug. 31. Ban said he is discussing possible successors with the Arab League.

Annan has served as the U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria. He came up with a six-point peace plan to resolve the crisis there, including a cease-fire that was supposed to take effect in mid-April. But the cease-fire never took hold.

Rights activists said that more than 19,000 people have died in the Syrian crisis since March 2011.